Demonic Faith (James 2:18-19)

Demonic Faith (2:18–19)

James used demons as an example to open the eyes of his readers who were too comfortable. The church has recently come to terms with the truth and activity of demons. During His earthly ministry, our Lord frequently expelled demons and conferred that authority upon His disciples. In his ministry, Paul often had to deal with demons. In Ephesians 6:10–20, he told the early Christians to ask for God's protection and to defeat the evil spiritual forces.

Many people are surprised to learn that demons possess faith. They are not atheists or agnostics, which means they believe in God. They also think that Christ is God. They testified to His sonship every time they met Jesus while He was on earth (Mark 3:11–12). They believe that there is a place of punishment (Luke 8:31) and that Jesus Christ is the Judge (Mark 5:1–13). They obey the power of His Word.

"Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD." (Deut. 6:4) This was how the godly Jew said their daily prayers. You think there is only one God. Good! James 2:19 says, ". . . the devils also believe, and tremble." The demons experience an impact in their minds and hearts, while the man with dead faith only experiences it in his mind. They believe and shake.

But believing and trembling won't save you. A person can have their mind opened and their heart moved, but they can still be lost forever. Real saving faith requires more than just belief; it requires a change in one's life that can be seen and recognized. James said, "shew [show] me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works." (James 2:18).

How could someone prove their faith without doing anything? Is it possible for a dead sinner to do good works? No way! You are "created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them" (Eph. 2:10) when you trust Him. To be a Christian, you have to trust Christ and live for Him. You get the life and then show it to others. A faith that is empty is not saving faith. The Greek word that James 2:20 translates as "dead" means "barren or idle," like money that doesn't earn interest.

James has shown us two types of faith that can never save a sinner: dead faith (the mind alone) and demonic faith (the mind and the feelings). He ends this paragraph by talking about the only kind of faith that can save a sinner: dynamic faith.